past and present
by Scarlet-Passion
Summary: What really went through Marcus's head when Edward came to the Volturi? What was Edward feeling through his own eyes? And what secrets go on behind the walls of the Volturi?
1. Remembrance

I laid my head against the wall. I was sitting on my bed, looking around my one-thousand-year-old room. It had never changed. The curtains of my window—which were never open—were a brilliant blue covered with flowers painted by hand.

The rug was a linen carpet. I had it upgraded so it didn't become dirty, but otherwise, it was the same. My bed still had the same shade of purple that she had made all those years ago.

Half of my wardrobe was still taken of her dresses. I had them washed every week so they wouldn't become soggy. I kept all these things…because it would be too painful to let them go.

My mate—no that wasn't good enough to describe her—my wife was dead. Whenever I thought of it, a sharp pain, almost physical would take my dead heart. I tried not to think of her but…she was always there.

My Didyme was always in my mind. I loved her more than anything. I gripped my head in my hands. I wanted to scream, but my brothers would hear and I really didn't need that.

She preferred Dyme, not Didyme. I loved her for that. It was the year 1000, and the name Dyme was so unheard of. That's why I loved her. She was so smart and fiery and mine. I gritted my teeth in pain as her burgundy eyes played in my mind.

If I could cry…well…my room would probably be an ocean by now. I heard the faint creak of my door opening. I stood up, a slight embarrassment feeling in my stomach. In the doorway was Demitri.

I sighed inwardly. My face was slack and cold as I always had it. But, I knew Demitri was here for.

"Marcus, my liege" I winced when he—or anybody—addressed me that way, "we need you in the throne room." I just nodded. He walked off down the hallway, probably trying to avoid me like everyone else. I let my face morph back into one of some emotion. I chose my black robe to wear. If they needed me, then it must probably be something important—whatever 'important' meant in this place. I never could be sure what 'important' was to Aro.

_His brother in pain for losing Didyme, no problem. Something else on the other hand… _I rambled on and on in my head. _I_ was probably the only company I had. I sighed loudly before opening my door and walking zombie-like down the hallway.

I passed by Aro and Caius' mates, Sulpicia and Athendora. I was sorry to say that they were mostly appearance oriented. My Didyme never cared for her complexion as much as them. I just avoided them, knowing they were probably conversing about me (since there was nothing better to do in this place).

I walked to the out-of-proportion door that led to the throne room. Caius was the one who wanted bogus decorations, wanting to intimidate any 'lesser vampire'. I just rolled my eyes at that and pushed my way through the mahogany doors before a servant could do it for me. I walked to my throne beside Caius.

He looked highly annoyed. Aro as always was enthusiastic. I rolled my eyes of his attitude. It was such a fraud, even Caius—the most arrogant man on the planet—knew that. But he kept up the façade.

I looked up to where Aro stood, looking over the unfamiliar vampire in the hall. His untidy bronze hair hung loosely in front of his dark eyes, as if he hadn't fed in months. His skin was paler than any vampire I had ever seen, but the look in his eye caught my most attention.

He was trying to hide it, but not succeeding. The emotion was very, _very_ familiar. His eyes were dark from hunger, but he wasn't crazy with thirst. Misery had taken his eyes. It was painful to watch. But his face was…cold. Empty. As if his long life had no meaning.

My thoughts were interrupted by Aro, "How can I help you Edward?"

Edward? Edward who?

"Oh I'm sorry my brothers. This young man is Edward Cullen. He is the son of our friend Carlisle," he told us.

Carlisle? Of course, Carlisle. He was such a good friend of mine. But why was his son here?

"Please Edward, tell us why you're here," he requested once.

Edward tried to speak, but something caught in his throat. He couldn't seem to speak. I looked to him curiously. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"I-I need," he started, "I-I need you to help me with something."

"What do you need help with, Mr. Cullen" Aro asked politely. I almost groaned at his courtesy. Honestly, he sounded more impatient than interested.

"I don't mean to disrespect you. But…my mate," he seemed to wince at the word, "has died." His voice cracked constantly, as if he was just struggling to even speak. "Is it possible if you could…" he trailed off, looking at Aro pleadingly.

Aro held out his hand to read Edward's thoughts. I had a feeling of what he wanted, but didn't speak it. I never spoke out. But when Aro touched him for one second, he removed his hand, his face grave. He obviously wasn't surprised. Aro nodded, considering it.

Of course Caius just had to speak up, "Aro, let us discuss this matter," he hissed, unaware that the _entire_ hall could hear him. Aro, thought slightly embarrassed, agreed to discuss it.

He looked back to Edward, "Edward, we will discuss your…proposal. In the meantime, I will have Francesco escort you to a place to stay.

Impulsively, for the first time in literally five-hundred years I used my voice. "Aro, I think I will direct him to his room," I told him. My voice was hoarse from lack of use. The entire hall's occupants stared at me in shock. If I were human, my face would've glowed bright red.

I rose from my chair and walked over to my over-enthusiastic brother. I touch his hand momentarily. He looked to me, his face perplexed. I just glared at him in a way that I hadn't in a thousand years.

Aro just nodded, "Edward, please follow Marcus to your quarters," he told him. Edward just nodded. I walked out of the hall, allowing him to trail behind. Athenodora and Sulpicia were still 'conversing' in their own sense of the word.

"Marcus," I heard Sulpicia's snake-like voice. It always made shivers run up my side. She caught site of Edward, her face blank. "Why are _you _letting this peace of filth follow you?" she asked, disgusted. Her voice still had a strong French accent that

Edward didn't react to her comment.

Sulpicia really shouldn't be calling Edward filth. The once blond goddess had a large scar just missing her eye. Her pale skin and body was just as slim as ever, but the light and excitement in her burgundy eyes that she had five-hundred years ago had vanished. Her mate, Aro had started an act of betrayal of her that she was fully aware of.

"Sulpicia, leave the boy alone," I told her. She looked to me, surprise clear on her face. I caught Athenodora's eye, her face full of wonder. Athenodora was probably my best friend. She never disrespected me when I lost Didyme.

But she was surprised that I was actually speaking.

"C'mon Edward," I addressed him.

I led him down a tunnel, to a room that was so secluded, it was a wonder it was still in use. Nobody actually used it, except for me when I needed it. It was a square, cement room with a simple bed.

That was all that my kind needed after all. I opened the door for the boy, and he stepped in not bothering to even glance at me.

"Boy," I addressed him. He turned around to me, probably expecting me to pounce on him or something along those lines. "Why are you here boy?" my voice was more severe than necessary.

The boy took a deep breath; "I wanted to…" he began.

"Join us? Let me tell you something, boy. It's not worth it. Once you join us, you cannot leave. It will be very hard to escape without Aro or Caius catching you," I told him in warning.

He finally made eye-contact with me, his face slightly confused under a mask of emptiness.

"I am not here to join you," he told me. That was…surprising. He wasn't here to join us. He didn't want to kill his mate's murderer?

"Than, why are you here?" I asked him, trying to rack my brain for anything.

His eyes were hard, but his hands clenched into fists. He swiftly hid them behind his back. "I…I can't l-live without h-her," he stuttered. My eyes widened in disbelief. He wanted to…die? But he had a family, a father.

"Boy, don't you want vengeance on her murder?" I asked him.

"Vengeance for what? She wasn't killed? She drowned. My Bella threw herself off a cliff because of me!" he shouted the last part. Unlike my brothers who would've been appalled, my face softened for the first time in two-hundred years.

In fact, I had felt more emotion in the last twenty minutes alone than I had in the last five-hundred years. How could this _boy_ make so much emotion rise up in me?

"How did she die? She was a vampire. The only way she could die is if she came to us or provoked a pack of werewolves?" I asked him in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" he asked me, perplexed by my question.

"Wasn't she a vampire?" I asked him.

Edward looked to me, his hard face completely softened into one of anguish, "No," he mouthed the words. He couldn't find his voice.

But, she was human? Well, that made things a whole lot more complicated then.

"Edward," I used his name for once, "I may not know how it feels to lose a human mate. But, I think I can help you on the front when it comes to recovering from your mate's" I held my wincing of the word, but Edward let it come, "death."

"How can you know?" he spoke louder. His face was angry now.

"Because…I just know," I told him. I then departed from his room, dragging my feet to the discussion chamber.

The issue we had to discuss was whether we wanted Edward to join us, or kill him. Judging by the fact that Aro was interested in him meant that Edward had some powerful abilities. But…why should he die. He would be valuable to us. But….he shouldn't become what I have become.

It would have to be decided soon.


	2. Discussion

Edward POV:

Edward POV:

I stared at the closed door for a half an hour. All that kept running through my head was _her_. I didn't think that anything could be worse than the pain of separation. But the pain of death was so much worse.

I couldn't believe she was…gone. I couldn't believe it. I locked the door to the room and slumped against the wooden door.

If it wasn't for her hate of violence I would've hit something. I slid to the floor, my eyes staring straight at the cement and plaster wall across from me. Even though I knew I had this pain…I knew it was nothing compared to what was coming.

The worst of the pain hadn't come yet. And…I had a faint feeling of what it would do. My inner ranting was interrupted by something that sounded like strangling, but not quite.

I looked for the source of the sound, to find it was me…sobbing. I gritted my teeth in anger. How could I be so week? I couldn't be week right now…I just couldn't.

I closed my eyes, looking for some form of distraction.

What I found was better than _any_ distraction. A pair of brown eyes met my dark ones. I smiled a little at her face. Her white skin was creamy and healthy. Her dark hair hung loosely in a ponytail, making various hairs fall in front of her.

She smiled a little at me. It was small but…warm. Happy. I basked in her gaze, tracing my eyes over her full lips, her perfectly angled nose. I don't know how, but somehow my sub-conscious was able to summon this picture of her. It was beautiful.

Instinctively, I went to place her stray locks back in place. But when my hand didn't find anything, I opened my eyes.

I had become lost in the perfect fantasy. I looked to the window momentarily, to see that it was Twilight.

My time of day, our time of day, her time of day. That was when it hit me. The stabbing, physical pain. The pain that made me hug my torso. The pain that made me collapse onto my side. I crawled my way to my bed and collapsed onto the mattress.

I sobbed my tearless sobs. Tear of grief, tears of agony, and most of all tears of defeat. Still, there was that voice in my mind whispering to me…_good, you deserve this._

And…I couldn't help but agree.

Marcus POV:

I came to the door of the discussion hall. I was about to open it when I heard something like a strangled cat. Of course, I knew the sound much to well. I sighed at the pain of this young vampire.

I had the feeling that it was the worst part of grieving for your mate. The part that turned me into a zombie. I shivered at the mere remembrance of it. In hope of a distraction, I began to open the door, when Jane came prancing down the hall.

"Marcus, let me open the door for you," she suggested.

"That is quite all right, child. I can do it myself," I told her as politely as I could through my cold mask.

"Nonsense. My gracious master shouldn't have to do anything on his own," Jane concluded. I didn't bother arguing with her. Everyone knew what she would do if she didn't get her way.

"Here you are, master," she said as the door opened wide enough for me and her to fit through. I walked in first. Aro and Caius were both sitting sided by side in chairs highest above the floor

I walked up the stairs to my own throne beside Aro. Below us was a circle of chairs. Demetri, Heidi, and Felix sat in those chairs. Jane and Alec, our most 'valued' children sat on either side of our thrones.

Jane sat next to me. Truthfully, I was much happier with that. Alec's power was much more…destructive than Jane's. Honestly, it was a little amusing to watch Caius fidget in his seat next to Alec.

The four other guards were out on a mission.

Across from us were three other chairs, almost as elaborate as ours. Athenodora and Sulpicia occupied two of them. The third—that was across from me—was vacant.

I felt a lump in my throat that I knew would surely escape into a sob, but I controlled it. My face was probably agonized though.

Athenodora caught site of me, but I just looked away. I knew she was just trying to be sympathetic, but I didn't want anyone's pity right now. I barely noticed Gianna at the doorway, taking notes of the meeting.

I knew the only reason Aro asked her to do this spurious task was so he could see how uncomfortable the poor human was in front of everyone. He had a very…odd sense of humor.

I touched Aro's hand momentarily, allowing him to see what Edward wanted. He nodded to me.

"Thank you, everybody for coming to this discussion," he told them. I rolled my eyes at him again. No need for introductions. But knowing Aro it would take a while. So I just tuned him out…escaping to millennia ago, when Katrina was the only thing that mattered and nothing else made this world heaven but her.

When Aro sat down, I came back to earth. The discussion was about to begin.

Athenodora POV:

Caius and I were conversing silently, once again worried about Marcus. We had come to ignoring Aro and his constant 'polite' banters.

Caius was convinced that Marcus was inconsolable. That seemed obvious, since after five-hundred years, he would not take another mate. I sometimes wondered what he was going through.

But I knew if I ever lost Caius…I couldn't picture it. I always found myself panting from the pain. Caius was the same. I had seen it. He had told me himself. Sulpicia and Aro preferred going to wild celebrations and being the cruelest they could be, especially towards each other. I had never seen a shallower couple. They just didn't have that feel that Marcus and Katrina had.

Marcus once said that my relationship with Caius was extremely powerful. I didn't have much trouble believing that.

My thoughts were interrupted when I didn't hear anymore of Aro's constant chatting. The first to stand was Demetri, who said that he should die, point blank. I shook my head.

Everyone knew that he just wanted to be the main tracker of the Volturi. I caught Caius stifling a laugh. My facial expression must've been something amusing. Heidi and Felix stood now. They explained their reasoning of why they wanted him to become part of the guard.

"He could become excellent back up for Demetri," explained Heidi. Demetri shot her a look of insult.

"Also he could be a fairly knowledgeable correspondent of America's paranormal activity," continued Felix.

"Excellent point, Felix" I commented on his reasoning.

"Thank you, my lady" he exclaimed, grateful. Of course, I winced when he addressed me like that. Some of Marcus's habits had rubbed off on me.

"He could also interrogate our prisoners for information; judging by his life span, I suspect he has a fairly vast knowledge of some languages. So he would usually have no problem with retrieving the information without any form of torture," Caius nodded and Aro's face turned to one of surprise.

I had to be shocked myself. Usually, Heidi was all about looks. This sudden spark of intelligence was very…helpful to us.

"We have many other reasons to include him, but we shall give other people a chance," Felix concluded.

Aro nodded, thanking them for their reasoning.

The others' opinions varied. We took each one into consideration (except for Demetri). At the end, they all filed out except for Aro, Caius, Marcus, Sulpicia, and me. We all filed into a smaller room, where we sat in a circle, deciding on what we shoul do with Edward. Still, one chair remained empty. I could still hear the faint voice of Katrina coming from it.


	3. Similarities

All this belongs to Stephenie Meyer

All this belongs to Stephenie Meyer

_1000 A.D. Didyme POV:_

_Sigh. I was lying on my bed, trying my best not to drift again. Marcus would be back soon, and if everything happened as I thought it would…I didn't want to think about it. _

_The cement and plaster wall was directly above my face. I followed the cracks in the ceiling, just looking for something to do. I couldn't find any enjoyable books, unless reading Homer twenty times a day was entertaining. _

_Rolling my eyes, I gripped my favorite book—the Odyssey—from my bedside table, reading it for the thirtieth time. I could barely get any books anymore, since Volterra was under siege from Hera. _

_Another complication from that witch. I swear, anymore of this 'evil torment' and I was going to rip her throat out myself. I eyed my bronze swords hanging on the wall. How pleasant it would be._

_Not only that, Hera was terrible at being evil. Every threat she uttered was so old. I had read them in any good book that could be found around this time. She threatened to burn our city, heard it—taken care of. Threatened to kill Demetri, heard it—assassin caught._

_She was pathetic. Aro, Caius, and Marcus all knew it. Yet they didn't believe she was that stupid. The only one who had any sense at all was Marcus, and sometimes even __**he**__ doubted my judgment._

_I just shook my head in frustration and began reading my favorite book. _

'_Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide_

_after he had sacked the famous town of Troy._

_Many cities did he visit,_

_and many were the nations with whose manners and_

_customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.'_

_I scanned over the page with exhilaration, as I did with this book every single time. Marcus always used to tease me on how I loved to read, yet I could fight off any killer, supernatural or not, away._

_As I continued, I heard the door creak open._

_I looked up, to find that my lovely Marcus was staring at me. I smiled at him, looking at his beautiful features. His long black hair. His creamy, white skin. His brilliant, dancing burgundy eyes._

_He didn't smile back. His eyes were pained, and anger flooded through my being at whatever caused his pain._

_I stood up from my bed, crossing the floor to meet him at the door. _

_"Marcus, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned._

_He lifted his eyes to me, "Step back in the room," he whispered._

_I did as he told me. He closed the door. He walked up to me, roughly pulling me to his body. "I love you," he breathed._

_I didn't reply at first._

_"I do," he whispered lower._

_I went rigid in his arms, "What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly fearful._

_He raised his eyes to meet my matching ones. "Come sit," he guided me to the bed._

_I placed my hand on his face, "Marcus, what happened?" I asked him._

_He held my face in between his hands, "Hera," he whispered. _

_I held back a chuckle at his fear for her, "What has she done now?" I asked briskly._

_He breathed deeply, "She has sent a…rather disturbing letter, for me at least," he replied._

_How dare she. How dare she cause my Marcus so much pain, "What did she write?" I hissed through my teeth._

_He locked my eyes with me. The pain in his eyes was enough for me to freeze in place. "I can't tell you," he muttered._

_"What? Why?" I demanded._

_"I just can't. I can't hurt you like that," he replied. I gripped his face in between my hands now._

_"Hurt me how? Marcus, you must tell me," I practically hissed._

_He looked into my eyes with so much intensity, that all my senses halted for a brief second._

_"She wants you. She wants you, alone. She knows your skills. She even knows your ability. She says once she battles you, she will leave" he whispered fiercely. The panic was clear in his voice._

_"And?" I whispered. He knew I could handle myself. I knew he would still be scared. But there was something else…_

_"We must send you away…to a friend of mine in R-Rome," his voice cracked._

_That hit me harder than anything else. I was leaving him. I couldn't. _

_"Marcus, no. I must stay here and fight," I hissed through my teeth._

_He shook his head, "No. No, you must go," he seemed to be convincing himself._

_"No, Marcus, I must stay here with you," I re-edited my reasons. It was the true reason. My reason for everything. "Marcus, I love you," I whispered._

_He pressed his face into my hair, "I know. I love you so much. I don't want to do this, Dyme. But…it's for you," he hissed the last word._

_I grabbed his face making him face me again. We searched each other's eyes for one second, and I found what I was looking for. I kissed him fiercely, knotting my hands in his hair, his cucumber scent rushing off of him._

_His ran his hands through my hair, whispering my name in between caresses._

Marcus POV:

Ugh. Aro and his fantastical ways had won over my loyalties once again. And he also left me guilty _again_. Caius had wanted to kill Edward, just so we could get on with our lives.

Athenodora's expression almost made me laugh. Sulpicia agreed with Aro for once on this topic.

I didn't though. I knew how it felt to lose that person. I knew that death seemed to be the only solution. It was either that or end up like me, a bored-off-his-rear-end creature of the dark.

I never went out into the day again. Especially, midday. That was Dyme's time, and I didn't need to be basked in her remembrance. The last time I had done that, well…it was….indescribable.

_500 years ago:_

_The pain, after five-hundred years had finally faded—turned into this welcoming, numbing sensation. I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It had been five-hundred years, and I had survived, thanks to Athenodora and Aro's helping hands. _

_The cracks in the wall were a little worn._

_The last rays of the sun shined on my face and glistened on a very shiny object._

_I turned to glance at an aged book. I picked it up, feeling the wood of the cover in between my fingers. _

_The scent of the wood was mahogany, and inlaid in the cover were topaz and onyx stones. I remembered that they were Dyme's and my favorite gemstones. Not because of their color, but because they reminded us of a lifestyle that was foreign, yet longing to us. _

_The one thing Dyme and I hated was killing humans for our own needs. But it was so hard to just stray away from the natural diet of our kind. _

_I opened the book, to find the first lines of the…Odyssey._

_The numbness—that had taken me five-hundred years to build—evaporated in mere seconds._

The memory made me shiver. I never wanted to feel that way again. I only kept some remembrances of her and only _thought_ her name.

I was strong enough for that.

"Master?" I heard a familiar, sickeningly silky voice. I turned my head to meet the red eyes of Alec.

"Yes, Alec," I asked him.

"The boy is out of control. He says he wants to speak with you," Alec replied, kindly.

I nodded. Maybe, he'd come to his senses.

Edward POV:

I approached Aro, placing a cold mask on my face. "Aro. May I speak to you for a moment?" I asked.

He turned to me, "Of course, Edward," he replied, much too warmly.

"I am sorry to interrupt you. I was just wondering if you could answer a question I have," I requested.

"And that would be?" he urged me.

"Whatever happened to Marcus's mate?" I asked, spitting it out as fast as I could.

Marcus looked to me, surprised, "Why do you ask, Edward?" he asked, confused.

"I was just curious," I replied.

Aro nodded, "Well, Edward…Marcus's mate, Didyme, was killed in battle. Actually it was Hera who killed her," he said.

I raised my eyebrows, "You're saying that Hera was real?" I asked him

"Oh, yes. And the legends about her husband, Zeus, were true. He was a very strong player in his time," he replied.

I nodded and thanked him.

I ran back to my room, practically knocking down the door in the process. How dare he tell me he knows how I feel? His love wasn't killed because of him.

His love was killed because that bloody Hera was as cruel as they get. His love wasn't killed because he left her.

He couldn't help me now. I punched the cement wall, but it didn't help.

I threw my bed across the room, breaking the wooden bed frame. I kicked and punched the walls. It was all nothing.

Alec came in through the door, watching me. I hissed at him, "Bring me Marcus. NOW!" I yelled.

He shrugged and stalked out of the room.

I crouched in the middle of the room. Ready.

It felt like forever when he finally came to the door. "How dare you?" I hissed at him, "How dare you say you can tell me you can help me? You have no idea what happened to her," I glared at him, "she died because of me. Your mate didn't die because of you. How dare you!" I shouted.

He looked to me, agony bursting on his face. "It was my fault," he replied.


	4. Revelations

All this belongs to Stephenie Meyer

All this belongs to Stephenie Meyer

Edward POV:

"What do you mean 'it is' old man?" I demanded.

He glared darkly, "That is none of your business, boy," he hissed.

"Yes it is. Why do you care so much about this? Why do you care so much about what happens to me?" I practically yelled.

"Because what has happened to me should _never_ happen to someone else. Do you even realize what losing the one you love does to a vampire? I'm the only one known in existence—besides you—that has lost the one they love and lived on!" he shouted at me.

"Well guess what? It's happening to me right now! I lost her! My one reason for going on with my life! I lost it! That's why I asked you to kill me. Because I'm like any other vampire who truly loves their mate. I want to DIE!" I shouted more fiercely.

"And you think I don't?" he muttered quietly.

"Well, obviously. She died a thousand years ago. And yet, here you stand," I pointed out.

"That's because I couldn't find anyone to do it! My brothers wouldn't and no one else wanted Caius and Aro on their tale. Don't you understand? You can make any vampire angry and be killed. I _can't_!" he concluded.

I thought that over.

"How did you find out how…my wife…died," he hesitated, trying not to mutter her name.

"Your brother told me," I replied.

His head snapped up, rage burning in those fiery red pits, "Which one?" he asked, controlled.

"A-Aro," I replied.

He turned on his heals, running full speed down the hall.

Marcus POV:

Aro was a dead man. He knew I _never_ wanted anyone to know how Didyme died. I had made that clear two-hundred years ago.

I smelled him out, the fresh scent of wine. I caught site of him pacing along the halls. He caught site of me as well.

"Marcus—" he was cut off mid-sentence. I shoved him up against the wall as hard as I could. He was shocked.

"You bastard," I hissed at him.

"Why do you say this to me, brother?" he asked, confused.

"How dare you? How DARE you?" I cried.

"How dare I, what?" he pondered.

"How dare you tell that _boy_ what happened to Didyme?" I whispered fiercely.

"You're still mourning?" he asked, looking at like I was pathetic.

My veins popped with rage, "You shallow son of a—".

"Marcus. I told Edward so it would soften him up. I want that boy to live," he smiled.

I looked at him in disbelief, "You idiot. He will _not_ make a good addition. His love for that girl was intense. Do you even realize why I still stand here?" I asked him.

"Because of you loyalty to the Volturi," he answered confidently.

I snorted.

He looked to me, confused.

"Loyalty? That's your reasoning? The only reason I stand here, Aro, is because anyone I ask to kill me you will hunt down and end their own lives," I said.

Aro looked to me incredulously. When he finally spoke he said, "How could you care for Didyme that much?" he whispered.

"Because she is mine. You don't even know what that means, do you Aro?" I guessed.

"Of course I do," he muttered.

"No, you don't. Everyone knows about you and Chelsea," I muttered back.

He looked to me with wide, horrified eyes. "Everyone?" he asked. By 'everyone', he meant his wife.

"Yes. Why do you think Sulpicia is so bitter? She's known for ages," I told him, dumbfounded that he hadn't found out sooner. His eyes were wide with horror and…guilt?

"M-Marcus, I n-never meant to h-hurt her," he whispered.

"You should've thought about that brother before you went with Chelsea, you coward," I whispered.

I stepped away from him, letting him slump to the cold, stone floor. He looked blankly at the wall opposite him.

"Oh and Aro?"—he looked up at me—"don't you dare kill Chelsea. It won't do you any good," I said.

I stalked away from the piece of filth I called my brother.

Aro POV:

She knew. She knew about Chelsea. I wanted to cover my face, or run. But my body wouldn't respond.

Sulpicia knew. I was wondering why she was so cold, so snotty. So proud. She was trying to hide her hurt. No. She wasn't hurt. She was practically dead inside. That's why she never talked to me anymore. All that guilt and moral that I had been suppressing came crashing down on me.

Now that I though t about it, I couldn't figure out why I had gone with Chelsea. The reason had vanished. All I had now was this shell that I wanted to escape from.

I didn't want to face Sulpicia. I hated seeing her cry and hurt. Especially when it was because of me. I made a sound of resentment towards myself. How could I be so cruel? She was my life.

I rocked my head against the wall and closed my eyes. How was I going to deal with this? I made a list in my head. First, I had to confront my love. I had to remind her that she was the reason I still go through day to day in my barren existence. Second, I had to break it off with Chelsea. It would hurt her, yes, but she hated hurting Sulpicia. Sulpicia was her creator.

This hurt her almost as much as it hurt me.

Third, I had to make Sulpicia happy. I couldn't let her be like this.

I heard footsteps coming down the hall…and her scent struck me. Honey and lemon. It was beautiful.

"Aro?" she muttered in her new, snake-like voice. It used to be all honey and bells, like Christmas.

I stood up in front of her. I took her head in my hands and peered into her eyes. The light that once was in my artistic goddess was gone. She no longer held that inspiration. I needed that fire back in her.

I leaned in slowly, barely touching her lips…

She pulled away.

"You bastard," she hissed. Why was everyone calling me that today?

"Picia…" I muttered her name.

"Don't. Just don't, Aro," she muttered.

"Picia, please," I pleaded.

"NO! I can't let you do this to me. You have no idea what I'm going through. I can't paint anymore, don't you understand that?" she cried.

"Yes," I muttered.

"How? You were so oblivious to me for months," she muttered under her breath.

"I saw it in your eyes," she was stunned, "they were…dim. I need you to have that fire," I replied.

She snorted, "No you don't. You would rather bond with that _skank_ then be with m-me…" she stuttered at the end. To my horror, she collapsed to her knees. She began to sob, hiding her face from my view.

I crawled over to her, encasing her in my arms. "No. no. no. no. no," she muttered to herself. Another sob escaped Picia's throat.

I pressed my face into her lovely raven hair.

"I'm sorry. I will never, ever do it again," I repeated it like a mantra. I rocked her back and forth in my arms. She sobbed into my chest, muttering my name in her honey voice.


End file.
